David Farmer
Encyclopedia
David Farmer is a theatre director, playwright, drama consultant and yoga
teacher.
"This year’s outstanding show at the festival." - The Herald (on Singing in the Rainforest)
"At last, the show we’ve all been waiting for. Bursting at the seams with theatrical energy and full to the brim with visual wit, My Uncle Arly is also a sensational piece of ensemble playing... Sensationally silly and utterly brilliant." - Sunday Herald (on My Uncle Arly)
"A clever collaboration between physical-theatre company Hoipolloi and the children's company Tiebreak, this is one of those shows that entirely defies categorisation. It is equally suitable for adults and children, and all it requires is an audience that is prepared to embrace the absurd." - The Guardian (on My Uncle Arly)
"A beautifully imagined account of this children's favourite, performed with gusto and real storytelling suspense." - The Sunday Times (on Jack and the Beanstalk)
"It can be quite happily summed up as intelligent, humorous, inventive theatre for young people" - The Stage (on Jack and the Beanstalk)
So You Think You Know Boal by David Farmer in Teaching Drama magazine (2006)
Educational and Art Form Theatre by David Farmer in Theatre for Children and Young People (published by Aurora Theatre Books 2005)
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
teacher.
Biography
Trained as a primary school teacher, David Farmer worked first as an actor and teacher before setting up Tiebreak Theatre Company in 1981. Under his leadership, the company produced 65 productions for children and young people which toured across the UK and abroad. He left in 2005 to pursue a freelance career as writer and director. He also trains teachers in the use of educational drama and runs a drama resource website.Selected Productions
- 2002 : My Uncle Arly by David Farmer and Shôn Dale-Jones. Royal Opera HouseRoyal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh and three UK tours. Tour of Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Co-production between Tiebreak TheatreTiebreak TheatreTiebreak Theatre was founded in 1981, in Norwich, England. It functioned as a Theatre in Education and young people's theatre company until April 2006, when it closed following a funding decision by Arts Council England....
and HoipolloiHoipolloiHoipolloi are a British touring theatre company committed to creating new work for theatre that imaginatively engages their audience and makes them laugh...
.
- 2002 : Frog in Love written and directed by David Farmer based on books by Max VelthuijsMax VelthuijsMax Velthuijs was a Dutch painter, illustrator and author. He was one of the most famous children's illustrators in the Netherlands. In 2004 he received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustrators....
. Edinburgh FestivalEdinburgh FestivalThe Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
and extensive UK tours. Time Out Critics’ Choice 2003. Toured in translation by Akershus Teater, LillestrømLillestrøm' is a city in the municipality of Skedsmo, Akershus, Norway. The municipal administration is located in Lillestrøm.Facilities in Lillestrøm include hotels, Norway trade fairs, a brand new cinema, a mall, Lillestrøm torv, restaurants, a high speed commuter train that reaches both Oslo and...
, NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
- 2000 : Jack and the Beanstalk written and directed by David Farmer. Commissioned by the Lyric HammersmithLyric HammersmithThe Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on King Street, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, which takes pride in its original, "groundbreaking" productions....
. Two UK tours including residencies at Lyric Hammersmith, Watermans Arts Centre and Derby PlayhouseDerby PlayhouseDerby Theatre is a theatre situated in Derby, England. Formerly known as the Derby Playhouse, it was operated by Derby Playhouse Ltd from its opening in 1975 until 2008, when the company ceased operating after a period in administration...
.
- 1989 : Singing in the Rainforest devised and directed by David Farmer. Commissioned by The Natural History Museum, London. Six tours of the UK, US and Canada.
Reviews
"David Farmer's direction encourages a sense of wonder and wit." - Sunday Telegraph"This year’s outstanding show at the festival." - The Herald (on Singing in the Rainforest)
"At last, the show we’ve all been waiting for. Bursting at the seams with theatrical energy and full to the brim with visual wit, My Uncle Arly is also a sensational piece of ensemble playing... Sensationally silly and utterly brilliant." - Sunday Herald (on My Uncle Arly)
"A clever collaboration between physical-theatre company Hoipolloi and the children's company Tiebreak, this is one of those shows that entirely defies categorisation. It is equally suitable for adults and children, and all it requires is an audience that is prepared to embrace the absurd." - The Guardian (on My Uncle Arly)
"A beautifully imagined account of this children's favourite, performed with gusto and real storytelling suspense." - The Sunday Times (on Jack and the Beanstalk)
"It can be quite happily summed up as intelligent, humorous, inventive theatre for young people" - The Stage (on Jack and the Beanstalk)
Publications
101 Drama Games and Activities by David Farmer (published by Lulu 2007)So You Think You Know Boal by David Farmer in Teaching Drama magazine (2006)
Educational and Art Form Theatre by David Farmer in Theatre for Children and Young People (published by Aurora Theatre Books 2005)